PlayStation 3 for $250, Same Price as Wii but Includes a Catch

233w ago - Pop quiz: Which is the cheapest current-gen home console? If you said the $250 Nintendo Wii, you'd be wrong -- it's actually the $200 Xbox 360 Arcade, which eschews the hard drive, headset and premium cables of its Pro cousin to shed a full $100 off of the regular price.

But though the entry-level 80GB PlayStation 3 usually clocks in at nearly twice that last price -- with "no plans" for a March price cut -- a new Sony offer will put the PS3 in a very close third-place finish with its rivals. If you're willing and able to sign up for the new Sony PlayStation credit card, you can get a PS3 shipped to your door for exactly $284.

While I would not advocate credit even if the US financial market wasn't currently in death throes due to its mismanagement (I avoid credit cards as a matter of principle) for those who don't feel similarly bound this actually appears to be a pretty good deal.

There's no annual fee, the standard APR is 11% variable, and there don't appear to be any unusually nasty penalties -- aside from the standard 30% default rate should you fail to make a payment, or go over the credit limit.

As far as we can tell, the $150 isn't a credit that is applied to your card days or weeks after the purchase, either -- Sony is touting this as an instant credit that translates directly into a reduced price for the PS3.

The offer expires December 31st, but is obviously timed to take advantage of the Black Friday spirits. Do you plan to take Sony up on this offer?